Even before Nazi Germany’s declaration of war on America on 11 December 1941, the U.S. Army was coming to terms with the need to adapt its arsenal and operational doctrines to the evolving European battlefield. Having witnessed the rapid advances of armored and mechanized forces in the German Blitzkrieg across Poland, the Low Countries, and …
Written By: Patrick Feng Throughout World War II, the M1 Garand rifle, which was manufactured in large quantities, served the U.S. Army extremely well. Despite the Garand’s undeniable reliability and effectiveness in combat, the experience of the German Gewehr 43 and the Soviet Tokarev SVT-40 semi-automatic rifles showed that the eight-round, clip-loaded magazine of the …
Written By: William G. Dennis At first glance, there seems to be little difference between the artillery branches of the U.S. Army and German Wehrmacht in World War II. The American guns were a bit heavier than their German counterparts and generally had a longer range. The German 105mm was sufficiently similar to the American …
U.S. and German Field Artillery in World War II: A Comparison Read More »
Written By: Jimmy Price “Gas!” This lone word could strike fear and panic into the most stoic doughboy in the American sector of the Western Front. By the time that the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) arrived in France, the use of poison gas was commonplace by the Allies and Central Powers alike. By war’s end, …
Written By: Matthew Seelinger During the Cold War, as the U.S. Navy and Air Force maintained America’s strategic nuclear arsenal of long-range bombers and submarine and land-based ballistic missiles, the Army focused on the development and deployment of tactical nuclear weapons for possible use on the battlefield. Beginning in the early 1950s, the Army introduced …
Written By: Nick McGrath Original publication date: Spring 2013 The Springfield Model 1873 was the Army’s standard issue rifle during the Indian Wars of the 1870s and 1880s. The rifle also saw service in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. Today, it is a favorite weapon of gun collectors. The origins of the M1873 …
By Danny M. Johnson U.S. Army Special Forces units today trace their lineage and honors directly to the First Special Service Force (FSSF), the joint Canadian-American organization formed in July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana. This regiment was an all-volunteer outfit with exceptionally high standards and extensive and rigorous military and physical training. …
“Knife, Fighting, Commando Type, V-42.” The Original Special Forces Knife Read More »
While the use of light tanks with the U.S. Army’s armored forces dates back to World War I, the Army’s success with light tanks has been mixed at best. In World War II, the Army’s M3 (and later M5) Stuart light tanks, armed with a 37mm main gun, were immediately outclassed by heavier armed and …
By Vince Hawkins The Viet Cong called them “Fire Dragons,” because their high volume of fire and tracer ammunition gave the appearance of a dragon’s breath. Their U.S. Army crews called them “Dusters,” due to the large clouds of dust they created as they sped across the dirt roads of Vietnam. The M42 was a …
The Army Historical Foundation is the designated official fundraising organization for the National Museum of the United States Army. We were established in 1983 as a member-based, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We seek to educate future Americans to fully appreciate the sacrifices that generations of American Soldiers have made to safeguard the freedoms of this Nation. Our funding helps to acquire and conserve Army historical art and artifacts, support Army history educational programs, research, and publication of historical materials on the American Soldier, and provide support and counsel to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals.
